Mauritius the Chagos Islands and Money

Britain is about to hand the Chagos Island back to Mauritius, but nobody knows why its taking so long to do it. Nobody disputes Mauritius rights any longer. We don't mind having the Americans on Mauritian territory- we love the Americans.

This can be settled by the simple transfer by the US of sufficient money to settle the Mauritius National debt, a 99 year lease agreement ( Mauritius specializes in this) and a continuing rental payment for the next 99 years.

The foreign ministers seem to have forgotten what this fight is about. It's not about power, China India or influence. Its about money. Boris Johnson when he was foreign secretary referred to the Mauritian Government as a "bunch of monkeys". Dear Boris, we managed COVID pretty well. Our government paid our staff for 18 months. But we had to borrow money from the IMF to do it, and we need our rental income from Uncle Sam, who under President Biden has recovered remarkably well financially.

There is a hue and cry about China having influence, about threats to the US Military base, about loss of power, prestige and influence.

But the essence of this is not about any of those things. Its all about money. Mauritius is entitled to rentals going back to 1965 for a portion of its property occupied by the United Kingdom and illegally leased to the United States.

This is an extract of the Foreign Claims Act claim for damages under 10 U.S.C. §§ 2675, 2734, 2736, & Solatia Payment (US Code of Federal Regulations, Title 32, Chapter 5, § 536.145)

On 8 November 1965, by the British Indian Ocean Territory Order 1965, the United Kingdom established a new colony known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (hereinafter the “BIOT”) consisting of the Chagos Archipelago, detached from Mauritius, and the Aldabra, Farquhar and Desroches islands, detached from Seychelles. (¶33) On 16 December 1965, the General Assembly adopted resolution 2066 (XX) on the “Question of Mauritius”, in which it expressed deep concern about the detachment of certain islands from the territory of Mauritius for the purpose of establishing a military base and invited the “administering Power to take no action which would dismember the Territory of Mauritius and violate its territorial integrity”.

A 50 year lease was drawn up between Britain and the United States, which expired on 2015. But since 1965 Diego Garcia has become the United States naval presence in the Indian Ocean.

Since 1965, where has the rent been paid? Certainly not to Mauritius. Who monitors and protects fishing in the Indian Ocean? Certainly not the Superpowers. I read the Wikileaks correspondence between Boris Johnson the then Foreign Secretary when in writing he proclaimed that he "was not handing over a a strategic miliatary base to that bunch of monkeys."

On or about November 22, 2019, the United Nations General Assembly time limit for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the Chagos Archipelago expired at which point the British Indian Ocean Territory political entity was rendered void ab initio and the military occupation confirmed nunc pro tunc. The Respondents are in possession of various facilities on Diego Garcia Atoll leased from the United Kingdom pursuant to the terms of several agreements termed “Exchange of Notes” in 1966, 1972, 1976, and 1987.

What is Britain defending? The BIOT is being developed by Britain with complete disregard for the rights of Mauritius and The Seychelles.

Britain still leases the Island of Diego Garcia to the United States presumably for a substantial rental or trade off. So this is not about defense any longer. 2 powerful Economies are profiteering from the sovereign rights of a much smaller power.

Dear President Biden, we will welcome you and your great country as honored leaseholders, with a debt settlement agreement and a 99 year lease, at current rental rates and an escalation clause.